Residents urge preservation of Smithtown School as asbestos, demolition costs are discussed

Public commenters at the Quarry County Board of Education meeting on Oct. 28 urged the board to consider preserving the vacant Smithtown School and to fully explore renovation or sale before pursuing demolition, citing historic value and public-health concerns related to asbestos.

Caitlin Ross, a resident who signed up to speak during the public-comment period, told the board she feared demolition would harm the community and said she had nominated the building to be surveyed for preservation. "So out of the 12 schools that were originally built in 2005, only 6 were surveyable and only 3 are still standing now," Ross said, arguing the schoolhouse is part of the county's heritage and asking the board to pursue grants and other funding to avoid demolition.

Ross raised multiple health and safety questions tied to asbestos and lead, including whether demolition contractors had…